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The Blue Jays make the trip to Cleveland to face the Guardians! The Blue Jays have struggled this season and are spiraling leading into this matchup. The Guardians have had a great season and just broke a three-game losing streak. Our MLB odds series has our Blue Jays-Guardians prediction, odds, and pick for Friday.
Blue Jays-Guardians Projected Starters
Jose Berrios vs. Carlos Carrasco
Jose Berrios (6-5) with a 3.13 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP
Last Start: Pitched six innings and gave up four runs on eight hits with zero walks and one strikeout in a Blue Jays win.
2024 Road Splits: (2-4) 3.88 ERA
Carlos Carrasco (2-6) with a 5.80 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP
Last Start: Pitched five innings and gave up five runs on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts in a Guardians loss.
2024 Home Splits: (1-3) 5.49 ERA
Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Blue Jays-Guardians Odds
Toronto Blue Jays: -1.5 (+155)
Moneyline: +104
Cleveland Guardians: +1.5 (-188)
Moneyline: -122
Over: 9 (-105)
Under: 9 (-115)
How to Watch Blue Jays vs. Guardians
Time: 7:10 pm ET
Article Continues Below
TV: Bally Sports Great Lakes
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Blue Jays Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Blue Jays have been inconsistent to start the season towards a 35-39 record. They have lost three straight leading into this series. The team has struggled behind the plate with their bats and then their pitching has also struggled, with both being in the bottom half of the MLB this season. Daulton Varsho, Justin Turner, Bo Bichette, George Springer, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. have stood out behind the plate. Jose Berrios and Yusei Kikuchi have been their best pitchers up to this point in the season. Toronto has talent, but they have not found any consistency up to this point in the season.
The Blue Jays have not announced a starter yet, but all signs point to Jose Berrios starting on the mound. He has a 6-5 record, a 3.13 ERA, and a 1.12 WHIP. Through 92 innings, he has allowed 32 runs on 81 hits with 22 walks, and 65 strikeouts. The Blue Jays are 10-5 in his 15 appearances this season. Jose Berrios has been a great pitcher for the Blue Jays this season and he gets an interesting matchup against a Guardians offense that has talent but has not been anything special so far.
The offense for the Blue Jays has struggled towards a .233 which is 22nd in the league, after finishing last season with a .256 batting average. Daulton Varsho and Vladimir Guerrero Jr lead the team in almost every important batting category. Guerrero Jr. leads the way in batting average at .278, in OBP at .365, and in total hits at 79. Varsho then leads the way in home runs at 11 and RBI at 35. This offense has struggled, but this matchup against Carlos Carrasco helps because he has been the weak link in a great Guardians pitching staff.
Why The Guardians Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Guardians have had a great season with a 46-26 heading into this series. They recently broke a three-game losing streak too. Their bats are steadily average this season in the middle of the pack, while their pitching has been a top-10 staff. Steven Kwan, Jose Ramirez, Andres Gimenez, Tyler Freeman, and Josh Naylor have carried the Guardians on offense. Tanner Bibee, Triston McKenzie, and Ben Lively have held down the fort in the pitching staff despite Shane Bieber getting Tommy John Surgery. They have been one of the best teams in the MLB this season, and not just the AL.
The Guardians are starting Carlos Carrasco on the mound and he has a 2-6 record, a 5.80 ERA, and a 1.46 WHIP. Carrasco has allowed 40 runs on 65 hits with 21 walks and 44 strikeouts through 68 innings. In his 12 starts, the Guardians are 4-8 in those games. Carrasco has been the weak link in a great Guardians pitching lineup. However, it might not matter because the Blue Jays are nothing special behind the plate on offense.
The Guardians are a talented team behind the plate but are average statistically. They are 16th in team batting average at .243 after finishing last season at .259. The offense is led by Jose Ramirez and Josh Naylor in almost every batting category. Ramirez leads the way in batting average at .272, in RBI at 64, in OBP at .332, and in hits at 75. Then, Naylor leads in home runs at 19. This offense has shown flashes, but they get a difficult matchup against Jose Berrios potentially for the Blue Jays.
Final Blue Jays-Guardians Prediction & Pick
This game comes down to Carlos Carrasco against Jose Berrios as pitcher. Carrasco has struggled and been a weak link for the Guardians in a pitching staff that's strong overall. Berrios is the better pitcher if he gets announced for the Blue Jays. The Guardians are the better team, but thanks to Berrios, Toronto should cover and keep this close, even if the Guardians still win.
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Final Blue Jays-Guardians Prediction & Pick: Blue Jays -1.5 (+155)
